{"product_id":"9781922148780","title":"The Train to Paris","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eShe entered the station, wearing a white leopard-print dress that was short enough to show off her legs. Her hair slid down the back of her neck in a curtain of gold, which shimmered as it passed through the updraught. There was a conspicuous ring on her finger. Her head turned and her eyes almost met with mine. I looked away.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter a disastrous holiday with his girlfriend in Madrid, Lawrence Williams takes the train back to Paris where he is studying art history. Lawrence is twenty years old and discovering how to see the world, which means he doesn't mind too much when he gets stranded at the border.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThat's when Elodie Lavelle enters his field of vision. She might be twice his age but she's amused by the boy's earnest charm. She decides to entertain herself by educating him in the rules of her society, treating him to an unforgettable evening in Biarritz.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut Elodie has not counted on what Lawrence might teach her in return, or how much their unlikely encounter will mark them both. \u003ci\u003eThe Train to Paris\u003c\/i\u003e is a surprising and compelling love story.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSebastian Hampson has studied and written on the history of modern art and urban design. He has lived in Europe and the United States and is currently based in Auckland, New Zealand. His first novel is \u003ci\u003eThe Train to Paris\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Sebastian Hampson is that rare thing: a writer of ideas who is also compulsively readable.' Nicholas Edlin, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Widow's Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Sebastian Hampson...writes with an assurance that belies his years. A perceptive and thoughtful love story in the tradition of \u003ci\u003eBrief Encounter\u003c\/i\u003e, inspired by Hampson's travels in Europe, the novel is immediately engrossing. The reader is swept along by the fluidity of the writing.' \u003ci\u003eWeekend Australian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Lyrical and elegant.' \u003ci\u003eWaikato Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Hilarious at times, sad too, and sometimes slightly shocking, the story grips from the beginning...The dialogue is sharp, and the changes in himself the young man experiences are both touching and realistic...This is a remarkable and sophisticated piece of writing for a young man in his early 20s. Sebastian Hampson is a writer to keep an eye open for.' \u003ci\u003eOtago Daily Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'This book will charm and engage.' \u003ci\u003eBooks and Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Hampson's prose superbly renders the atmosphere of summer in Biarritz and winter in Paris. His self-absorbed Lawrence is very believable, and some of the ancillary characters are also well-portrayed. This is a remarkable debut novel, and it will be interesting to see what Hampson comes up with next.' BookMooch\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Text Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47168294191344,"sku":"9781922148780","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781922148780_p0.jpg?v=1763633548","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781922148780","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}